Wire-basket attachment.



W. F. LINDNER.

WIRE BASKET ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATI .13,1917. 1,282,094. Patented 0ct.22,1918.

2 awwwtoz W152 37257267;

WILLIAM F. LINDNER, F RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

WIRE-BASKET ATTACHMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 22, 1918.

Application filed October 13, 1917. Serial N 0. 196,507.

To aZZ'whom it may concern: I

Be itknown that I, WILLIAM F. LINDNER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia,have invented new and useful Improvements in Wire-Basket Attachments, ofwhich the following is a specification.

, same from the basket.

One of the chief characteristics of the invention resides in theprovision of a construction, which can be manufactured and sold at anominal cost, and which can be easily and conveniently attached to thebasket or removed therefrom when desired.

The use of the invention in connection with a wire basket issufliciently characteristic of its utility and admirably illustrates itsapplication. For this reason the description is addressed to thecooperation of the attachment with a wire basket, but it is to beunderstood however that the device is applicable to leather trays, filecases and the like, and that such general application is contemplated bythe claims.

The nature and advantages of the invention will be better understoodwhen the following detail description is read in connection with theaccompanying drawing, the invention residing in the construction,combination and arrangement of parts as claimed.

In the drawing forming part of this speci fication like numerals ofreference indicate similar parts in the several views and wherein Figure1 is a perspective view of a wire basket showing the attachmentassociated therewith.

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of the attachment showing the clamp partlyin section.

The device forming the subject matter of my invention embodies aresilient clamp indicated generally at A, and which by preference isconstructed from a single sheet of resilient metal folded upon itself toprovide spaced parallel clamping sections 10 and 11 respectively, and asubstantially cylindrical intermediate portion 12 at the point ofjuncture between the respective sections. A loop-shaped member is alsoemployed, being constructed from resilient wire and having its parallellimbs 13 slightly curved longitudinally, and having their free endsterminating to provide resilient coils 14, which are disposed at rightangles with respect to the limbs, while the coils extend inwardly towardeach other. The coils are adapted to be positioned within thecylindrical portion 12 of the clamp A, and tensioned so that the loopadjacent the closed end thereof normally contacts the bottom of thebasket B. The closed end of the loop is slightly curved upwardly inspaced relation to the bottom to permit the same to be readily graspedwhen it is desired to lift the loop to remove the contents from thebasket. The cylindrical portion 12 practically wholly embraces theresilient coils, the latter being arranged so that approximately twoconvolutions of each coil project beyond the cylindrical portion toinsure easy action of the loop. The innermost convolution of each coilis extended downwardly as at 15 in parallelism with the section 10 ofthe clamp A, the extension 13 projecting through an opening 16 in thesection 10 and through an aperture in a lug 17 which is cut or stampedfrom the said section 10 of the clamp. In this manner the loop isimmovablv attached to the clamp as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

The clamp is manufactured in a fiat condition, separated from the loop.The parts may be readily and easily associated by passing the extension15 of each coil through the opening and lug provided by the section 10of the clamp, subsequent to which the section 11 is folded over theconvolutions. The clamp may then he slipped over one side or end of thewire basket B or other receptacle with which the attachment is used. Theloop when in active position as shown in Fig. 1 is arranged within thebasket normally contacting the bottom thereof. the coils 14 togetherwith the inherent quality of the material from which the loop is formedexerting a downward pressure upon the loop, so that the latter maintainsthe papers, letters or the like in an orderly manner in the basket, whenthe same are interposed between the bottom of the basket and the loop.When the clamp is positioned upon the end of the basket the cylindricalportion 12 is spaced an appreciable distance above the upper edgethereof to maintain the coils out of contact with the basket to insureeasy action of the loop.

While it is believed that from the foregoing description the nature andadvantages of the invention will be readily apparent, I desire to haveit understood that what is herein shown and described is merely illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention to which I do notlimit myself, and that such chan es may be resorted to when desired asfall within the scope of what is claimed.

What is claimed is 1. The combination with a tray having side and endwalls, of a substantially inverted U-shaped resilient clamp straddlingone wall of the tray and including a cylindrical portion disposed abovesaid wall, a loop-shaped member the free extremities of said loop-shapedmember being coiled toward each other, said coils being disposed withinthe cylindrical portion of the clamp, the innermost convolution of eachcoil being extended and secured to said clamp, whereby the loop-shapedmember is normally held at an inclination to the wall of the tray incontacting engagement with the bottom thereof.

2. The combination with a tray including side and end walls, of aresilient clamp formed froma sheet of resilient material intosubstantially U-shaped formation, and adapted to embrace one wall of thetray, said clamp being further formed with a cylindrical portion at apoint midway between the ends of the material, whereby the cylindricalportion is arranged above the wall of the tray when the clamp isassociated therewith, a loop-shaped member having its free ends coiledtoward each other, said coils being disposed within the cylindricalportion of the clamp, one section of the clamp having an opening, anapertured lug projecting from said section and spaced from said opening,the final convolution of one coil being extended through said openingand lug whereby the loop-shaped member is secured to said clamp and thecoil extended whereby said member is normally maintained at aninclination to the wall of said tray in contacting engagement with thebottom thereof.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WILLIAM F. LINDNER.

fiopies or" this patentmay be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, 20. G.

